Fanfiction Recs

This is where I'm going to rec fics that I've just read as I read them as a way to scream about fanfiction I like. I sometimes will do some backlog work. It won't stick to one fandom but move around as my interests do. My icon will be of the couple or person who I am currently reading and posting recs for. Header will be a pic of the person or couple who starred in most reblogged and liked post. All fics will be completed. Molly, 27, they/them, bi. Feel free to talk to me whenever you like :) Main blog is http://vicecaptain-atomicthirst.tumblr.com/

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A Life Debt

Goody

Summary: When Jace makes a mistake Alec is forced to pay the price for it. In order to stop a war from breaking out between warlocks and Shadowhunters, Alec agrees to sign a Life Debt, which means he now belongs to The High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane.

*A season 1 major retelling where Alec and Magnus meet before Clary arrives.

Thoughts: I love retellings of season 1! The whole working relationship they have is really great and interesting to read about. The burn is slooow. But good! This does have torture and Alec almost dies approximately 6k times. It’s got a really good version of Jace. Like. This is almost equally about Jace and Alec’s relationship as it is Malec. It kinda just makes me sad the show couldn’t have fixed their bond better by doing something similar. 

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Ever Seen a Devil with a Halo?

rideswraptors

Summary: Clary Fairchild is annoying. This much, Alec Lightwood is sure of, and he's not about to change his mind. So why did he agree to go on a blind date with her friend? Because he'd obviously lost his goddamn mind.

A fic with too much fluff and hardly any plot at all.

Thoughts: This fic is really good and really sweet! You really get to watch Malec throughout their whole relationship and nothing super bad happens! Also it manages to be interesting and keep your attention without all the angst. Really good~

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Game On

alistoney

Summary: “You should know,” Magnus leans in towards Alec as if he’s telling a secret, “I’ve never lost.”

Alec uses the extra inches of height afforded to him to look down into Magnus’ face, studying it as if he hasn’t already memorized every line. The newly found courage coursing within him lets him breath one word into the space between them.

“Yet.”

Alec decides then and there that he is going to beat Magnus Bane, reigning champion of 2 years, at his own favorite game.

Or the one where Freshman Alec Lightwood and Junior Magnus Bane get a little too competitive in their Spring Semester’s annual game of Assassins

Thoughts: If you like competitive malec this is Great. Also some very hot kisses. And good humor. They are veeery impressive.

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Tell me I'm perfect (but tell me the truth)

SquaresAreNotCircles

Summary: Totally whipped,” Jace says, even as he slings an arm over Alec’s shoulders to keep him steady on the way outside.

“Like cream,” Alec sighs.

Or: 5 times Alec tells his siblings how amazing Magnus is + 1 time Magnus finds out.

Thoughts: This was so fucking funny I almost died. It’s incredibly cute and fluffy and very well-written. I love it and I love them! Simon shows up for two seconds and is GREAT.  

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I'll Be Home for Christmas

RaindropssandRosess

Summary:  Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood have been best friends ever since Alec started as an associate lawyer at Idris LLP. But Alec has a little family secret that he's been keeping from Magnus. What happens when Alec reveals that he's been lying to his family about having a boyfriend for almost two years now, and that he cracked under pressure and told his parents that Magnus was his boyfriend, and promised he'd bring him home for Christmas? Magnus agrees to go home with Alec and pretend to be his boyfriend- but will hidden feelings allow them to escape the holiday unscathed? Or will lines be crossed and hearts be broken?

Thoughts: This is both fake dating AND modern royalty so it’s got that going for it. Once they get their shit together it’s incredibly fluffy and smutty and fun to read. Peak levels of oblivious to get through first though lol. One part absolutely gutted me. Features good lightwood parents and good valentine! 

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Never Judge A Shadowhunter By Their Scent

Aria_Lerendeair

Summary: Magnus Bane, High Warlock of the Downworld, has sworn, after the Second Uprising, to never work with the Clave again, and has banned any warlock from doing so.

However, when the New York Institute refuses to respect that, and continues attempting to contact him, Magnus takes a moment to personally dismiss them.

Only then, the Head of the New York Institute offers the impossible - a night with a virgin, unclaimed omega in return for the healing of their people. Furious, and ready to kill the Head of the Institute for daring to offer up an omega like that, Magnus accepts the offer, fully intending to rescue the poor omega.

It turns out, however, that he's underestimated the Head of the New York Institute - Alec Lightwood.

Thoughts: I am SCREAMING. This was soooo good. They were so in character and I loved seeing Isiah from that other fic and just. AH. Everyone was so good in this and the ending was *chef’s kiss*. I would love to have more of this talking more about politics cause I’m that kind of bitch, or even having Alec meet Raph. But it was SO GOOD. Trust me. 

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come as you are(n't)

magicmagnus (strangehunger)

Summary: "No costume?" With a raised eyebrow, Magnus waved to the rest of the room. "And yet you’re throwing the biggest Halloween party this town has ever seen.”

“That wasn’t exactly my idea,” Alec said, staring down into his cup. His own reflection stared back at him, rippling through the dark red surface of the punch. “Izzy planned --" he gestured vaguely at the party "-- this.”

“Not a fan of Halloween?”

Alec had never been a fan. Things happened when the veil was thin -- strange things. While other children had spent Halloween dressed in costumes and asking for candy, Alec had spent it learning about magical protections, brewing potions, going to stuffy dinners back in the Other Realm. For years, it had been one of the many things that reminded him that he and his family just... weren't normal. And all Alec had ever wanted to be was normal.

_______________An homage to 90s Halloween specials, in which Alec is a witch with a crush, Magnus is charming, Izzy throws a Halloween party, and things go horribly wrong.

Thoughts: This was really cute! Alec as a witch was cool and something I’d be interested in seeing more of. Watching him and Izzy work together or argue using the magic was really really cool. Magnus is absolutely going to give Alec a complex lol. 

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An Idiot's Guide to Magical Transfiguration

theprophetlemonade

Summary:  Okay, so turning into a talking cat isn’t exactly step one in Magnus’ plan to woo the Hot Law Student who delivers his takeout, but sometimes you just have to make do.

Thoughts: I love the world this takes place in, it’s awesome. As much as I love Magnus as a cat, because I do, for some reason Alec as a delivery guy for this Chinese place tickles me more? And I don’t know why. But I love it.  Just, Alec showing up and being like.... What did I walk into???? Really does it for me. It’s really cute and really funny.

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The Lonely Hearts Hotline

Fatale (femme)

Summary: “Hey there,” Alec says in the lowest, sexiest voice he can manage. It sounds vaguely disinterested but some people get off on that.

“Hi,” the voice says.

“Ready to have some fun?”

The voice makes a small, sad noise.

“Or not?” Alec tries hastily. He gets paid regardless of what they're talking about. “We can just chat for a while.”

“What’s your name,” the voice says finally.

“Uh, Chad,” Alec says. He was drunk when he picked his name, just as he was drunk when he answered the job wanted ad. He should have picked something sexy like Tristan, but he’s forever Chad now, the douchiest phone sex operator in history. He balances his bowl of macaroni carefully on his stomach and sneaks a quick bite.

“You don’t sound like a Chad,” the voice says doubtfully.

“Why the hell not?” Alec says before he can stop himself, mouth full of pasta.

“--are you eating?”

“No,” Alec lies and swallows.

---Alec is a bored phone sex operator. Bafflingly, Magnus just wants to talk about music.

Thoughts: Alec as a phone sex operator is everything I didn’t know I needed. He’s also a mess but I love him. Jace is also a mess and I surprisingly love him too. Raphael is a surprising treat for how little he’s in this. I fucking died about the office bet over Alec.

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Sliding Doors

gray_eyes

Summary: Her eyes narrow. “So, what brings you to the Hunter’s Moon?” She asks.

Before Alec can swallow another sip of his cocoa and reply, a velvety voice behind him responds.

“Don’t worry, Maia dear, he’s one of us.” Alec turns to find Magnus, smiling down at him with his hands perched on his hips.

-------Alexander Lightwood fades into the shadows, following orders and staying away from the Downworld. Yet, a seemingly routine mission results in new discoveries for Alec as he balances his conflicting loyalties and his burgeoning identity.

Thoughts: Speaking of long fics I’ve read more than once... This is really good. The plot is excellent and all the characters are excellent! The third fic in this series, the second post story one about Max, made me cry it was so sweet. I love the world-building, and as someone who really enjoyed the infernal devices books, I loved having Tessa in here. I will say though, that due to some world-building changes if you have a particular love for Clary, maybe skip this. It’s not bashing, she was just brought up quite different. BUT. I love this Alec.

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Anything You Say

milominderbinder

Summary: Detective Alec Lightwood likes his job. He likes the order of it, likes helping people, likes that he gets to work with Jace and that Izzy is always right downstairs in the morgue too. He's wanted to be a cop ever since he was a kid, just like his parents before him, and now he's living that dream. His life should be perfect.

There's just one problem. Their precinct has just gotten a new forensic expert -- Magnus Bane.

And honestly, he's so cute that Alec's kind of losing his mind.

Thoughts: I love this fic. It’s interesting and sweet and nothing too bad happens to my favorite boys. Seeing all their relationship milestones is really cute and fluffy. The police stuff is a pretty cool background and I LOVE Lydia in this. I’ve def read it more than once, despite how long it is. ALso. I like how it’s determinedly a show only fic. I’ve read the books a while ago so I know when people try to add things that were only in the books and I know a lot of people mish-mash the canon, but it was nice that this one didn’t try to.  

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One step ahead

apathyinreverie

Summary: What if Alec and Magnus had already met during that Pandemonium scene in the very first episode?

-Or, how things might have gone if Magnus and Alec had just had a few extra days to get to know each other, before Valentine’s schemes, Clary’s various crusades, Lightwood family history revelations and Clave-Downworld politics made everything more difficult for them than it really needed to be.

It truly might have made all the difference in the world.

Thoughts: Sometimes. You just want gentle, good, things to happen for your favorite characters. Sometimes you wonder what things would be like if good things happened to them instead of fucking awful things. This is that exact thing for Alec. It deals with all the canon stuff, but nicely. Please, this boy in particular needs good things. Also featured- good things for Magnus, Lydia, and Ragnor!

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Making my way to you

asharee_arie

Summary: Alec frowns at his sister. "Magnus is my friend and, more importantly, my employee, stop calling him my boyfriend."

"Stop undressing him with your eyes and I might," she counters looking smug.

***Or, Alec is in love with Magnus and everyone in the office knows it. Or the vague The Office-ish AU that spiraled out of control.

Thoughts: First of all I have never seen any of The Office in either iteration that I have heard it has. However. I loved this. It was funny and INCREDIABLY fluffy and you could really tell how much everyone loved each other. Shout out to Maryse Lightwood in this, probably the nicest version of her I’ve ever read. 

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Breaking the chains

ToTheStarsWriting

Summary:  When Alec was kidnapped by the Circle and tortured for information, he never would've guessed that he would meet someone there who would change his life. Someone who, no matter what Alec says or does, just moves right on in and makes himself at home like he was never meant to be anywhere else.

Thoughts: I literally wanted to scream after I read the last line it gave me such good feels. The whole fic is a gem, I loved reading about Magnus meeting up with Alec, I could’ve read 100k more. DO NOT be put off by the torture, totally non-graphic, really just used for set-up. I think I’ve recced at least two other fics of their’s and at this point I would rec this author entirely. I was kinda put off by the kidnapping and torture based just on the summary and ended up reading the fic just on trust in the author and BOY AM I GLAD I DID. Please like I said, don’t even worry about that stuff. It’s so good.

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That empty place inside

ToTheStarsWriting

Summary: For as long as there’d been Shadowhunters roaming the earth, using the powers granted to them by the blood of angels that flowed through their veins, there had been dragons. Wonderful, stunning creatures of magic who, for some reason that no one knew, bonded to Shadowhunters and Shadowhunters alone in one of the only shows of magic the Clave approved of.

It was a ritual when a Shadowhunter had their first rune ceremony for it to be followed by a trip to Idris. There, in the sacred nesting grounds where all dragons went to lay their eggs, a Shadowhunter would walk through those already hatched and those waiting, and they would find their dragon. Sometimes they’d find them in the youths playing, the two drawn together with a bond considered even more sacred than that of parabatai. Other times, the touch of the Rider would be enough to draw a dragon from their egg.

It was rare for a dragon to reach adulthood without bonding to their Rider.

It was unheard of for a Shadowhunter not to have a dragon.

Thoughts: This fic is just FILLED with that soft yearning sadness. I don’t want to spoil it but. Alec really Deserves someone in his corner. Magnus is a gem. 

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Building a Clan

ToTheStarsWriting

Summary: Keeping secrets was never easy. Alec should know – he was keeping quite a few. Sometimes it was hard to remember who knew what secrets. The chance of slipping up, the damage that could cause, was unthinkable. There were too many things about himself that he couldn’t let just anyone know. Too many things that marked him as wrong or different, even if he didn’t understand why sometimes.

His family were the only ones to know his biggest secret, one that could get him killed if he wasn’t careful. Bad enough that his parents had once been a part of the Circle and extremely close to Valentine himself. If any Shadowhunters – or, Angel forbid, the Clave – ever found out that Maryse had allowed Valentine to inject her with something, mixing what she’d been told was more Angel blood with her unborn child, the ramifications could be catastrophic for their family. More so if they ever found out it wasn’t Angel blood that he’d injected the fetus with.

It was dragon blood.

Thoughts: I love this version of Alec and this version of dragons. The malec is built up really nicely and pretty realistically. I LOVE how they just fixed like... 90% of problems in this. It was so gratifying. I also really love Ragnor in this. Usually I can take him or leave him, but this was SO GOOD.

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Sanctuary

Doomkitty25

Summery:  Alec escapes Alicante after learning that Valentine is prepared to destroy the pocket realms that Downworlder's were using as refugee camps after the Circle defeated the Clave. Alec is desperate to get information to one of the resistance leaders, Magnus Bane. The resistance has no use for Shadowhunters, but Alec convinces them to let him see Magnus. Alec's escape triggered a sacrifice rune on his body, the sacrifice rune gives the wearer 12 hours to make it back to a Shadowhunter checkpoint, and Alec misses his window. Dying and desperate, Alec is thrust fully into Magnus' world when they're bound by an Angel that sends them on a quest to stop Valentine at all costs. Alec can barely catch his breath before another disaster blows up in his face, but Magnus is with him through it all.

Thoughts: This person worked really hard on the lore for this, it’s real good. But for me the main draw was reading about the connection that Alec and Magnus have and how drawn they are to the other.